This invention relates in general to passive safety belt apparatus for restraining passengers in their vehicle seats during emergency conditions and, more particularly, to a three-point automatic restraint system including lap and chest belts normally connected at their inner ends to a floor anchor inboard of the vehicle seat and connected at their outer ends to webbing storage safety belt retractors mounted to the vehicle door whereby opening and closing of the vehicle door moves the belts between passenger restraint and passenger release positions.
Three-point automatic restraint systems of the general type disclosed herein are illustrated in prior patents including U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,170; 4,357,035 and 4,180,283 by way of example. In the system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,170, the outer ends of the safety belt are fixed to the door with mid-portions of the lap and chest belts being connected together by resilient means to facilitate positioning of the straps on opening and closing of the door. In the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,035 the inner end of the chest belt is mounted to an overhead track within the vehicle with the outer end of the lap belt being entrained on portions of the chest belt which runs to a door mounted anchor to provide a passive system operating in conjunction with movement of the door and the track mounted inner end of the chest belt. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,283, an auxiliary strap is shown mounted to the vehicle floor to facilitate modifying the direction of travel of the chest belt to hold a child safety seat in place. These prior patents are exemplary of prior passive restraint systems wherein means are provided for modifying the direction of travel of a chest or lap belt from its normal direction of travel from an inboard anchor (relative the vehicle seat) to the door mounted anchor during door opening and closing movement. Each of these references recognize that it is desirable to improve the position of the belts of the restraint system on opening and closing of the vehicle door to encourage vehicle passengers to use the safety restraint system rather than simply disconnecting it or otherwise defeating it from its intended use.